


I will follow where my heart may lead

by brandnewworldstosee



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Lots of Cuddling, M/M, Meet the Family, brief mentions of anxiety, connor and oliver are big dorky nerds, holiday fic, so much fluff it hurts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 03:35:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5569360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandnewworldstosee/pseuds/brandnewworldstosee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connor and Oliver plan for the holidays. But of course they're Connor and Oliver so they can't go about it in any normal way, because they have their own way of doing things.</p><p>OR</p><p>Connor and Oliver are big nerds doing big nerdy Christmas things and it's embarrassing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I will follow where my heart may lead

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know. It's a few days past Christmas. I plotted this out at Thanksgiving and started writing it and didn't get very far because the end of the semester kept me busy. But then a few days before Christmas I started writing this again and it just grew into this beast. Honestly it was only supposed to be 1000 words. But I just kept writing and writing and this was born. The actual celebration of the holidays kept me from finishing and posting it until now but I hope that you still enjoy it!
> 
> This is my first HTGAWM/Coliver fic and the first fic I written in a while and first fic I've finished in even longer.
> 
> Dedicated to my Roberry Muffin. Thanks for all of your help with this and reading every single draft, even if the only thing that was different was two more line. <3
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or the universe, they belong to their original creator(s), I am merely playing around in the sandbox

“So my mom called today.” Connor said when there was a lull in the dinner conversation. Oliver paused with his fork halfway to his mouth.

“Oh? What did she want?” Oliver asked, lowering his fork back to his plate and focusing his gaze on Connor. It wasn’t that Connor didn’t get along with his family, he did. He just never really talked about his mom, most of their conversations were about Gemma. Every once in awhile he would mention that he had talked to his mom on the phone but left it at that.

“She, uh, wanted to know what we were doing. For the holidays.” Connor was focused on his plate, dragging his fork through his mashed potatoes.

“Thanksgiving and Christmas. If we’re going to be here, or visiting with your family, or going out there. Or if we’re going to do separate holidays.”

“Oh.” Oliver says, letting go of his fork entirely and sitting back a bit. This certainly wasn’t the conversation he had been expecting them to have. “Well I hadn’t given it much thought. My parents are still upset with me so I was planning on staying here. You can go, though.” It really hurt that Oliver’s parents had distanced themselves, he usually got on great with them. But they thought that his getting back together with Connor was a mistake. And they still weren’t sure how to react to the news of his HIV status. That _really_ made them dislike Connor, they thought that he was just settling for the law student. Oliver wasn’t thrilled about spending the holidays alone but what could he do about it? His family didn’t want to see him and he knew better than to assume that Connor would want him tagging along.

“Oliver.” Connor said and something in his voice sounded off. Oliver looked up from where he had started fiddling with his napkin. “You don’t think I’d leave you alone on the holidays, do you? I told you when I moved in how serious I was. That means spending the holidays together too.”  
Oliver didn’t know what to say to that so he stayed silent.

“You really thought I would leave you alone for the holidays?”

“Not on purpose. But maybe you don’t want me to meet your family. Or you just made plans with them and assumed that I would be busy with mine.”

“I know how things are with your parents, I would never do that to you. I told my mom that I wasn’t sure yet but I would call her back when I knew. So, what do you want to do?” Connor asked, fork and potatoes abandoned, nervousness starting to leave his body and excitement creeping in.

“It wouldn’t make sense to fly out for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m not sure if I could get enough time off of work for it to be worth it, and you’ll probably have a lot of coursework and who know what Professor Keating is going to have for you. And then flying is such a hassle.” Oliver said, frowning as he thought about it. And that wasn’t even taking into account ticket prices. Holiday airline tickets were always so expensive. He knew that money wasn’t as big an issue for Connor as it was for himself but it would still be hard on both their wallets and not worth it to fly out for both holidays.

“Okay. So we stay here for Thanksgiving. Maybe invite Michaela and the others if they’re not doing anything. That’s Thanksgiving settled, what about Christmas?” Connor said, breezing over it like it was that easy.

Oliver just shrugged. “Come on, Ollie. Tell me what you want to do.” Connor, seeing that Oliver was going to protest, reached across the table to grab his hand. “Honestly I’m happy as long as I get to spend the holiday with you.” He said, rubbing Oliver’s knuckles.

“But you always talk about the big Christmas parties that your family puts on. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on that.”

“Oh.” Connor said a little sadly, starting to fidget in his seat. “Do you- do you not want to go to Michigan with me?” He loosened his grip on Oliver’s hand.

“No!” Oliver said, leaning forward and putting his other hand on top of Connor’s, squeezing. “I just thought that you wouldn’t want me there, that’s all. I’m certainly not the kind of guy that most of your family imagines you being with.”

“Of course I want you there. And you’re the first.” Connor said, feeling his cheeks start to flush.

“The first what? Oh.” Oliver said, eyes growing wide when he realized what Connor was implying. “I’m the first boy you’ve brought home to meet your family.”

“Yeah. I haven’t really dated anyone since boarding school and even then it wasn’t really a relationship.” Connor shrugged, not wanting to dwell on Aiden, on the past. He was happier now than he had ever been. “I mean Gemma used to invite guys to parties, as ‘presents’ for me. But she knows better than to do that now.” He hadn’t really talked to Gemma about it in the past but it made him a bit uncomfortable, that she did that for him. He hadn’t been about to turn down sex, of course. But he was perfectly capable of picking up guys on his own, he didn’t need his sister to do it for him. It was embarrassing and a bit degrading, to be the slutty younger brother being set up by his older sister.

“Also, uh, everyone might be expecting you already.” Connor said with a cough. “I told Gemma that we were together last year at Christmas, because I wanted to get back together with you and I didn’t want to sleep with the guy she invited and it was the only way to get her to leave it alone. I told her not to tell anyone, but she was drinking and it slipped out.”

Oliver wasn’t sure what to say about the Gemma thing but he could feel his face heat up at the mention of everyone expecting him. “Well now Gemma’s message to me when she friended me on Facebook makes more sense.”

“I’m sorry, Ollie. We can correct everyone if you want. If you want to go, that is.”

“Of course I do, Connor. I would love to spend Christmas with you.” Oliver smiled at Connor and squeezed his hand one last time before he let go, picking up his fork and going back to his meal.

“Great!” Connor said, grinning back at Oliver and returning to his meal as well. “I’ll call mom back in a few days and we can start looking at flights and stuff.”

And that was the last that they talked about it for a while. Connor told Oliver when he called his mom back and how excited he was. Oliver logged onto Facebook later that night to a very enthusiastic message from Gemma about finally getting to meet him. He had friended her back over the summer, when there had been potential plans for her and her family to come and visit them for the Fourth of July that had fallen through at the last minute. Connor’s mom added him on Facebook too, messaging him all sorts of questions about the holiday. Did his family have any traditions that he wanted to carry on this year, did he have any allergies or dietary needs, what was his favorite dessert, what were the must have Christmas Dinner dishes. She also messaged him just to check up on Connor, since they didn’t talk on the phone that much and she knew that he lied to her. She always made sure to ask how Oliver was doing as well, and expressed how excited she was that he was going to be spending Christmas at the Walsh house and that they would be missed on Thanksgiving. The tickets were purchased and the plans were made and before they knew it the holiday season was upon them.

Finally the morning of their flight dawned and for once Connor wasn’t trying to convince Oliver of ‘just five more minutes, Ollie’. In fact when Oliver woke up Connor wasn’t in the bedroom and his side of the bed was cold. He rubbed his eyes and picked up his glasses from the bedside table, squinting at the clock as his eyes adjusted. It was _really early_ , what was Connor doing up? Sure they had to be up early to get to the airport on time for their flight, but the sun wasn’t even up yet. Which, yeah okay that wasn’t hard to do in the winter but their flight wasn’t that early. After extricating himself from the tangled nest of blankets on their bed and going to the bathroom he wandered into the kitchen, yawning and being drawn by the scent of coffee. It was only as he was halfway through his coffee that Oliver’s brain started to process the visuals around him and he realized that he had found Connor. The man in question was in the middle of the living room in the middle of their luggage. Their open luggage.

“Con?” Oliver asked, leaning against the back of the couch. “What are you doing?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I’m checking over the luggage.”

“Why don’t we make breakfast and shower and then we can do that, okay? Then when we’re finished we’ll be able to just go right to the airport.” Oliver suggested. He wasn’t going to tell Connor to stop checking their luggage, that they had already checked it over three times and that they had followed the packings lists that Connor made when they were packing their bags, checking off each item as they went. He knew that Connor was just as nervous for this trip as he was and that it was just his anxieties.

Connor looked around the living room and bit his lips before looking back at Oliver. He nodded and stood up, putting the crumpled list down on the coffee table. “Okay. But there better be pancakes.” He said, pointing at Oliver.

“I think we have some Eggos in the freezer?”

“That works too.” Connor said, coming around the couch and pressing himself up against Oliver’s back, resting his chin on his shoulder and looking at their Christmas tree before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Now why don’t you get started on that and I’ll take a shower.” He said, before smirking mischievously. As he was pulling himself away from Oliver’s back Connor tapped Oliver's butt, letting out a laugh as he darted into the bedroom. It only took Oliver a moment before he was chasing after Connor. He ran behind him with his hands extended, attempting to tickle his sides. Catching up with Connor in the bedroom Oliver pushed him onto the edge of the bed, using his hips as leverage to pin him down while he attacked his sides.

“Ollie,” Connor whined, squirming side to side in an attempt to escape his boyfriend’s tickling.

Oliver let out a dramatic sigh before stepping back and holding up his hand to help Connor up. “Fine fine. I'm done. Now get up. You're the one who started it.” When Connor was standing up again Oliver kissed his forehead. “Into the shower with you now. Come on. Chop chop.” He punctuated his statement by nudging Connor in the direction of the bathroom, swatting at his butt.

After that the morning progressed easily. Connor took the first shower while Oliver got started on breakfast. When Connor wandered back into the kitchen he shooed Oliver into the bathroom to take his shower and took over cooking breakfast. He timed it just right so that when Oliver came out of the bedroom after his shower Connor was finishing plating their meals. He carried the plates over to the table while Oliver went to get himself another mug of coffee. Once Oliver was seated across from him Connor started eating. They talked as they ate, nothing more than small talk really. Some gossip about Oliver’s coworkers and Connor’s classmates and the other residents of their building. About the chores that they would have to do when they got back from their holiday trip, “do you think the milk will still be good when we get back? We should have just given it away to somebody, it’s still so full”. Before they knew it it was time to leave. Dishes washed and put away, meds taken, bags checked over a last time, lights turned off and doors locked.

They get to the airport with enough time to check in, go through security, and lounge for a bit before their flight. Not too long, though. Connor’s always been a nervous flyer and the anticipation of bringing Oliver home to meet the Walsh clan is adding on a whole other layer to his nerves. Oliver’s always been a bit of a nervous flyer but it’s really only for takeoff and landing. Once they’re in the air he’s fine. He’s nervous about meeting Connor’s family too. He spends the whole time waiting for their flight to be called holding hands with Connor and tapping his foot while they people watch. They made a game out of coming up with stories for the other people waiting to board their flights. Where they’re going and who they’re seeing. There are families big and small, businessmen and women, couples and singles. Old and young alike. There are even some unaccompanied minors and Connor makes a joke about the movie that has Oliver laughing, turning a few heads in their direction. Luckily their flight is called not long after that and they’re too busy gathering their carry ons and lining up to continue their game. The flight goes relatively alright. They hold hands pretty much the entire time, and not exactly gently either. Oliver tries to suggest that Connor take a nap but he only shakes his head and grips Oliver’s hand tighter. So Connor sits there next to Oliver jiggling his leg back and forth as they make small talk. There’s a small bout of turbulence where Oliver digs the iPod out of their carry on and splits the earphones between the two of them and they spent the ten minutes listening to some of their favorite songs.

But eventually the flight is over, the landing smooth. Soon enough they’re off the plane and waiting for their luggage. Once they have all their bags they go and pick up their rented car and make the drive to Connor’s childhood home. Connor parks the car and turns it off, twisting in his seat to face Oliver. “Mom is probably going to want to meet you right away.”

Oliver bites his lip. It’s not that he doesn’t want to meet Connor’s mom. It’s just that he got up early and he’s been worked up and nervous all day and he’s just not sure if he wants to meet Connor’s mom as soon as he steps foot in the house. “I’m not sure I’m up for that.” He admits, hesitating to meet Connor’s gaze. There’s a hand on his chin, tilting his head up, and then he’s making eye contact and there’s love and understand and oh why was he so nervous to admit that again?

“I can buy us time. Don’t worry about it, Ollie.” Connor says, rubbing Oliver’s face where his hand is rubbing.

Oliver reached up and covered Connor’s hand with his own, giving it a squeeze. “Well, let’s get on with it then. I’m pretty sure if we sit out here in the car much longer they’ll start getting ideas.” Oliver said, reaching to unfasten his seatbelt.

“Mom’s probably spying on us from a window somewhere.” Connor agreed, pulling the keys from the ignition and unfastening his seatbelt. Once he was standing outside of the car he went around to the back of the car. He opened the trunk with the button on the keys, slipping them into his pocket as Oliver came around to join him. Oliver opened the lid all the way and Connor started pulling out their bags, placing them on the ground at their feet. Once they had all their bags and double checked that nothing had slipped out and would be left behind Connor shut the trunk and they started to gather up their bags.

Connor lead them up the path to the front door, glancing back at Oliver every few steps to make sure that his boyfriend was behind him still. He could have held his hand, but both of them had their hands full of luggage. What felt like all too soon they were finally at the door. Connor had to put down one of his bags to get enough leverage to open the door, which his mother had left unlocked in anticipation of her guests arriving that day. Gemma and her family were due in later on in the afternoon. Once the door was open a few inches Connor grabbed his bag again and continued in, using his body to open the door the rest of the way.

Oliver followed a few steps behind Connor and stopped after he was only a step inside the entryway, looking around in awe. He put his bags down and started taking off his winter outerwear, following Connor’s lead. Scarves are unwound from necks, knitted hats are pulled off of heads only to be filled up again with scarves. The warm knitted bundles are then shoved into coat sleeves, and then the coats were put into the closet in the entry way. They took their shoes off and put them onto the shoe rack next to the closet door.

“Hey mom! It’s Connor. We’re here now but we’re really tired from the flight so we’re going to put our stuff away and then take a nap.” Connor called out once they had divested of their outerwear and gathered up their bags. He had heard someone start to approach and figured it was his mom. He knew that she would stay away after he told her they were going upstairs, but he knew that it would only happen if she was still in another room.

“Alright, hon. Just holler if you boys need anything.” She replied, staying where she was. Which, if Connor had to bet, was probably the kitchen. One of her favorite things about Christmas time was baking Christmas cookies for everyone she knew. And she knew a lot of people.

“Come on.” Connor said to Oliver, nodding his head in the direction of the stairs as he started to walk forwards.

“Okay so I’m telling you right now, please don’t laugh.” Connor told Oliver when they were outside his childhood bedroom. His mother hadn’t changed much since he moved out. He pushed open the door and flicked on the light switch, standing with his arms spread wide in the middle of the room. “This is it. Where all the magic happened.” Connor said, wagging his eyebrows, trying for humor. He knew what Oliver was seeing. The glow in the dark stars stuck on the wall and ceiling near the bed. The shelf of trophies, the framed awards. The bulletin board with photos and ribbons. The framed graduation pictures on the desk. The few posters left over from high school.

“Aw, I think it’s cute.” Oliver said, putting his bags down next to Connor’s. He’s on his way to stand next to his boyfriend when a framed photo on the desk catches his eye and he changes direction. Connor realizes what’s about to happen and his eyes go wide as he races to cut Oliver off. But he’s not fast enough because Oliver has the frame in his hands and he’s cooing at the picture. It’s Connor as a chubby cheeked child, missing his two front teeth, smiling so wide his eyes are almost closed decked out in a peewee sports uniform. “Look how cute you were.” Oliver says, tapping a finger against the glass.  
Connor whines and tries to grab the photo, but Oliver only holds it above his head. “Ollie. Come on, put it down. Mom’s probably going to bust out the photo albums at some point. Can’t you let me keep my dignity until then?” Connor wrapped an arm around Oliver, pulling him close and nuzzling into his neck.

“Fine. I do recall promises of a nap.” Oliver agreed, replacing the frame. “You’re not allowed to complain too much when your mom shows me those photos though.” Oliver said, poking Connor’s chest before heading towards the best. Connor was a few steps behind him.

They shed their sweaters before climbing into the bed, pulling the covers around themselves and they got situated in the middle of the bed. They were cuddling, Oliver was on his back and Connor was on his side next to him. Connor was using Oliver’s chest as a pillow, he had one arm tucked under the pillows and the other wrapped around Oliver and Oliver had an arm wrapped around Connor, fingers carding through his hair. They had closed the door to block the light from the hall and the sound from the rest of the house. The light had been turned off too but the curtains were still open so the room was light with the pale gray winter light. Connor let out a content sigh and shifted as he relaxed, safe and comfortable wrapped up in Oliver’s arms and the bedding, in the familiar walls of his childhood bedroom. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed but he had something that he needed to say.

“Ollie, are you still awake?” Connor whispered, tilting his head to get a better look at his face.

“Mm. Yeah. What’s up, Con?” Oliver asked, going cross eyed as he tried to look down at Connor before he shifted. “What’s up?”

“I. Uh. There’s something I want to tell you. Nothing bad!” He said, quick to set the record straight. “Just, something I really want you to know.” Connor said. Oliver shifted, sitting up against the headboard so he could focus better on Connor. Connor joined him a moment later, worrying the edge of one of the blankets between his fingers.

“Take your time, don’t rush.” Oliver told him, smiling softly.

“Okay.” Connor said, nodding and taking a deep breath. “So, you know that you’re the first boyfriend that I’ve brought home to meet my family?” Connor paused and Oliver nodded. “Well you’re also the first guy that I’ve _brought home_. I mean, I guess I had guys over in the living room. But you’re the first guy I’ve ever had in this room. My room. In this bed. You’re the first guy I’ve ever had in my bed in my room at home.” Connor confessed, looking down at the blankets and hunching his shoulders.

Oliver put his hand on Connor’s shoulder and he jumped, turning to look at him. “Thank you for telling me.” Oliver said. He knew how much courage it took for Connor to be able to admit this to him. “So this is a really big day for you, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It’s just. In middle school I was still figuring things out and I didn’t bring _anyone_ home. And I went to boarding school in high school. So there wasn’t really anyone to bring home. And over the summer if I was with anyone we were usually at their houses. It just didn’t feel right bringing boys up here. Although I’m pretty sure mom caught me making out with Johnny Manning down the road in the living room once.” Connor said, letting out a laugh.

“Well. If I’m the first boy you’ve ever had in your bed we’re going to have to do something about that.” Oliver said. Connor looked up at him, breath catching in his chest. Was Oliver really suggesting what Connor thought he was.

“Yeah?” Connor asked, leaning into Oliver his posture becoming more confident and suggestive.

“Yeah.” Oliver said, closing the distance between the two of them and kissing Connor.

“You know Mom thinks we’re taking a nap. No one’s going to come looking for us for at least an hour. Want to make out like teenagers?”

“Hell yes.”

And that was how Gemma found them an hour later. They were laying half on top of the covers, shirts rucked up. Oliver was straddling Connor, pushing him into the pillows. One hand was on his chest and the other was running through his hair while his mouth was occupied with Connor’s neck.

“Okay you guys. Mom says you’ve been napping for over an hour now. Time to come downstairs and share Oliver with the rest of the family. The kids have been bugging me about ‘Uncle Con’ since they got here and mom said I could finally wake you up a few min-” Gemma said, barging into the room and flicking on the light switch. She paused in the middle of her sentence when she took in the scene in front of her. Connor and Oliver froze, Connor staring at her with wide eyes while Oliver buried his face in the pillows.

“Well. Mom sent me to wake you guys up but I see that you didn’t need any help from me _getting up_. Be glad I didn’t let the kids come get you like I wanted. You have eight minutes to get downstairs before I send them up here.” Gemma said, turning around and heading back for the hall. She paused in the doorway to turn around. “Nice to meet you, Oliver.” She said, dodging the pillow that Connor threw at her, laughing as she made her way downstairs.

“That’s it. I can never show my face to her again. I’m never going to be able to meet you family now.” Oliver said, pulling the pillow tighter over his head.

“You’ll be fine, Ollie. She’ll tease a bit, but more me than you. Don’t worry. It just means she likes you.” Connor reassured him, patting his back.

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly originally this was just supposed to be the scene in the bedroom. That was it. It just spiralled into this beast once I started writing it.  
> I really hope that Connor and Oliver are in character, I've been assured by three separate individuals that they are, but I'd like to know your thoughts on it.  
> I might write more in this little verse that I've set up, I might not. You never know.
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://agentpeggycartering.tumblr.com/)


End file.
